


Prince and Poppies

by holy_vengeance



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Accidental Confession, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, clueless idiots, i love them, like slower than I thought it'd be, mentions of meg x zag but it's past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:42:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29764647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holy_vengeance/pseuds/holy_vengeance
Summary: Hypnos has a crush on an oblivious prince of the underworld that he assumes is unreciprocated after overhearing a conversation between Zagreus and his twinAKA I'm in love with these two and there's not enough content for them so I guess I'll just make it myself
Relationships: Hypnos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 83





	Prince and Poppies

**Author's Note:**

> Ah yes, it's time for another random fic out of the blue from yet another new fandom. Sorry that I'm so fucking bad at writing consistently, but I appreciate all of you who stick with me! I've been obsessed with these two since the first time I had them interact in-game, so this fic has been a long time coming. It's such a shame that you can romance Thanatos but not his brother (which I love Than too, don't get me wrong, but my heart belongs to his terrible, sleepy brother,,)
> 
> I hope y'all like this, I'm actually pretty happy with how it came out. Please don't forget to leave kudos and comment if you enjoy!
> 
> PS the point of view changes a few times but it's mostly from Hypnos's perspective

There weren’t many things the god of sleep looked forward to in a day other than his next nap or maybe the slim chance of a conversation with his mother. Or at least that was the case for most of his life. Routine was a way that you could describe Hypnos’s daily activities. He stood (napped) beside the pool of Styx and kept a record of the shades that entered from its depths and how they ended up in the underworld.

That’s exactly how his life went, day by impossible to tell day. That is, until the moment a munch more solid and quite alive form stumbled his way out of the bloody pool.

“Oh ho, Zagreus? What brings you in this way? Aren’t there like, doors or more official ways that a prince is supposed to enter his house?” Hypnos pushed his eye mask further up his head, effectively pulling his wild curls away from his face to peer more closely at the man walking towards him.

A smile broke across his face, even as he shook the last remaining droplets of red from his dark hair, “You know, you may be right mate. Though I don’t think the wretched thug that did me in was in the mood to help me find one.”

Hypnos glanced down at his scroll, trying to see exactly what had happened to the prince that clearly had ended his life- even if it was just for a few moments. His face twisted as he read the full entry.

“Oof skull caved in by a large club huh. You know that’s not usually good for your head. I think it’s supposed to stay in more of an uncrushed state for you to function properly,” Hypnos let go of his list and shrugged.

Zagreus grinned and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head (probably where it had just been fragmented) his red eye flashing in the dim light, “I never took you for a master strategist but honestly you might be onto something. I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m out!”

With that, he was gone. Jogging away towards Achilles who stood at attention at his post across the hall. The words  _ next time _ didn’t really alarm the sleepy god. Zagreus was always getting into various kinds of trouble. Hypnos was kind of surprised he hadn’t seen him crawl out of this pool more times if he was being honest. 

As he settled back into his thick, quilted cloak he tried to focus on inputting all of the hazy shades that kept moving past him. Not even a handful of shades later he was already lightly dozing, his mask slipped down over his eyes and the list entirely forgotten.

~

“Welcome to the House of Hades. It looks like you’ve died- but don’t worry! Almost ev-” Hypnos cuts his greeting off as he sees who’s emerging from the pool for at least the fourth time today. “You know, you’d think that after getting killed by your third brimstone in a row you’d remember to avoid their little beams of pain.”

The other god grimaced for a second before waving him off, “You know maybe I wanted this one to send me back here. It’s like an express ticket home so that I can see you again.”

Trying to ignore the way that comment made his heart flutter Hypnos rolled his eyes, “And here I was thinking you just weren’t good enough at dodging.”

“Hey now, watch what you say to me. Maybe I’ll give this present I brought all the way back from Tartarus for  _ you _ to somebody else. I’m sure Dusa is around here somewhere.” He made a show of gazing up into the rafters before moving like he was going to walk away.

Pouting, Hypnos grabbed the sleeve of his chiton, “You never said anything about a  _ present _ . Oh come on Zaggy, what’d you get your favorite god in this whole house?” He raised his eyebrows and gave Zagreous his best puppy eyes.

The other man sighed dramatically and turned to face Hypnos again fully, “Okay, I suppose since you’re so convincing.” With that, he produced a small bottle of golden liquid from somewhere in his tunic. Hypnos’s eyes went wide as he stared at the offering without moving to take it.

“Is that- no it can’t be. No one can get their hands on  _ nectar _ down here.”

It was true, nectar was almost impossible to come by in the underworld. Especially since Hades, the god of the underworld and also Zagreus’s father, forbid it. Thinking as far back as he could the little god of sleep couldn’t remember a single time he had actually seen a bottle of the forbidden drink in person. He blinked and pinched himself to make sure he wasn’t having an incredibly detailed lucid dream, which wouldn’t have been all that improbable for him.

“It’s the real deal mate, and I wanted you to have it,” with that the prince pressed the little glass bottle into Hypnos’s hand. It was warm, whether from being carried in the prince’s shirt or because that’s just how nectar was, the god of sleep was unsure.

‘Well if you insist! Though I’m not entirely sure why you don’t just keep it for yourself,” Hypnos dug around in his cloak trying to find a good pocket to put the present before pausing to consider for a second. “Well if you’re going to give me something this nice I’m going to give you something in return!”

“Oh, there’s really no need mate. It was a gift, I don’t expect-” He was cut off by Hypnos shoving a soft, red coin purse into his hand. 

“Can’t have myself being indebted to you Zaggy! Take this- maybe it’ll help you while you’re out traversing the underworld.” With that (and a yawn) Hypnos curled up into his cloak, effectively in the perfect napping position even though he was technically still floating upright at his post. Zagreus smiled and shook his head before pocketing the pouch and making his way further into the house.

He didn’t notice that golden eyes watched him as he made his rounds about the common areas and Hypnos didn’t fully slip into dreaming until he was back at his little place near the river Lithe, surrounded by poppies and curled around the unopened bottle he had been gifted.

~

The first time Hypnos awoke to Megaera the fury pulling herself out of the Styx was both a pleasant and unpleasant surprise. Red ran off of her beautiful, blue-tinted skin as she shook the last of the wet from her wing. Hypnos was so distracted by her unexpected appearance that he didn’t realize he was staring until she cast a cold sneer in his direction.

“What are you looking at little god? Don’t you have a job you should be doing?” Honestly, if looks could kill the glare she was shooting in his direction should have ended him right then and there. He glanced down at the paper floating beside him and couldn’t hide his surprise, “Woah! He finally got through didn’t he?”

It was a mostly rhetorical question. Unless there was another wielding Stygius it was apparent that Meg had been cut down by no other than the prince himself.

“Tch, he couldn’t have done it without help. He’s got the blasted Olympians aiding him as well as your lovely mother Night,” her scowl deepened as she secured her whip to her side and stormed further into the house, likely on her way to the lounge.

“Well how about that, he’s actually making progress,” he muttered to himself in wonder, preparing to settle back into his usual position. No sooner had the words left his lips when the pool started bubbling again, signaling another less than dead arrival. Hypnos looked down at his records and winced. Zagreus, prince of the Underworld, blown apart by a slam-dancer.

As the man in question made his way closer, Hypnos tried to plaster on a smile. Pushing the thought of the prince’s certainly painful death from his mind he called out, “Hey! Looks like you made it out of Tartarus finally!” To his credit, Zagreus’s face lit up as he saw and approached the god of sleep only to flick the last remnants of Styx from his hair at the unsuspecting god. 

“Oh, you should have seen it mate! The water isn’t even water past Tartarus, it’s just lava- which is incredibly painful to step in I’ll have you know. And the heat! I almost don’t mind being back here after all that.”

The fact that the prince was happy to be home, albeit for less than optimal reasons, made the last of Hypnos’s worry fade. Flashing a bright grin at Zagreus he made a show of consulting his list, “Hmmm next time I think that I would recommend, you know,  _ avoiding _ the projectiles flying at you?”

“You know, I was thinking the same thing. Thanks mate, you always have the best advice! In fact, here’s a little thank you gift since I’m sure your last one is long since finished,” The prince pulled another flask of nectar from somewhere on his person and handed it off to Hypnos’s surprised hands. Before he had a chance to argue Zagreus was striding away towards Cerberus and Hypnos was left watching his retreating back.

“Guess I’ll put this with the other one,” he said softly under his breath as he tucked the nectar into the plush confines of his cloak, willing the light blush that dusted his cheeks away as he tried for once to focus on his job.

~

It had been a longer than usual wait for the prince to return from his latest escapade through the levels of the underworld. Hypnos had to keep reminding himself of why that was a  _ good _ thing and that he should be excited that his friend kept getting closer and closer to his goal. 

His goal. His goal to leave forever and never come back. This was something that would make him happy. Besides, it’s not Hypnos’s place to long for the prince to stay here where he didn’t want to be. Chewing the inside of his cheek he also tried to ignore the reasons why he felt so strongly about all of this. He had been friends with Zagreus for literal ages. He knew the son of Hades better than anyone, or at least so he’d like to believe. Of course he would miss him if he were to go permanently. 

Hypnos was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice the figure approaching him from out of the waters at the end of the hall. He heard someone clear their throat next to him and jumped, list and pen flying before being caught by the exact subject of his current emotional turmoil.

“O-oh! You’re back! I was beginning to think that maybe my advice worked this time around,” Hypnos let out an awkward chuckle as he tried to compose himself. Thankfully the prince didn’t seem to notice how much he had flustered his companion. In fact, he looked positively ecstatic about something, a smile plastered across his handsome features.

“You’d never believe how close I made it this time. I got all the way to the end of  _ Elysium  _ mate. I faced their great champion that father had waiting for me, and that’s not even the best part!” Two blazing eyes held Hypnos in place, unable to fend off the full force of the prince’s excitement, “I saw  _ Thanatos _ out there! Can you believe that? I hadn’t seen him in  _ ages _ .”

Surprise painted Hypnos’s features as he processed what his friend had just told him one piece at a time. He put on his most winning smile, “That’s so great to hear Zaggy! I haven’t seen my brother in a long while myself. Hope he didn’t give you too much trouble out there.”

“Than? Oh no, he didn’t give me any trouble. Actually, he kind of helped me a little bit, but don’t let father hear that. You know how Than works hard to stay on his good side and all that.” Giving Hypnos a conspirational pat on the back he returned the smaller god’s items before fixing him with one last smile and then bounding off to tell Achilles of his newest feats.

To Elysium? But that was the last level before the underworld gives way to the surface. And he saw Thanatos? Thanatos  _ helped _ him even when Hypnos knew his brother had also been upset about Zagreus wanting to leave?

And of course Zagreus looked so happy. Because he  _ should _ be happy Hypnos reminded himself, and as a good  _ friend _ so should he. 

Sighing Hypnos tucked his work things away and decided now was a good time to go home for a much-needed, proper nap. With luck, he’ll wake up and this will all have been some sort of bad dream. He could wish at least.

Once home, the god of sleep curled up into his little nest of blankets piled high atop his plush bed after discarding the annoying metal parts of his daily ensemble. He stared at the little shelf across the room with a row of unopened nectar bottles arranged neatly side by side. 

Forcing his eyes closed Hypnos searched for the comfort of a pleasant dream to play in his mind to ease his descent into his own realm. Try as he might though, all his mind supplied him with was Zagreus fighting wretches with his brother. Of Zagreus and Thanatos getting closer, reigniting the bond that had always been so strong between them. Of that bond flourishing into something more. Something that Hypnos so desperately wanted for himself.

Perhaps not so coincidentally many mortals suffered insomnia that night, and many nights after.

~

It was strange, seeing Thanatos around the house again. Not that Hypnos didn’t want to see his twin- he missed his brother often. But seeing the way Zagreus would approach him every time he was forced home made Hypnos’s heart ache just a little in his chest. They were so comfortable together. More comfortable certainly than Hypnos had ever been with the god of death. 

It’s not that Hypnos would spy on the conversations that the other two young gods would have together. It wasn’t his fault that Zagreus talked loudly and that Thanatos always chose that specific, nearby balcony to brood at. Most of the time he did try to block out whatever the other two were talking about- partially because he wanted to be polite and partially because listening to them being buddy-buddy made his stomach twist. Today was no exception until he heard his name leave Zagreus’s lips. 

Trying to be subtle Hypnos floated a tiny bit closer to the entrance of the hall they were in. He was close enough to his usual post that he didn’t think he’d look suspicious but also close enough to their conversation to catch most of it. And what he heard made his heart sink.

“You should talk to your brother Than. I think that he misses you a lot. He also thinks that you don’t like him very much,” Zagreus did sound genuine and Hypnos was touched that he cared enough to ask.

“Hypnos? I don’t have time to spend helping him ignore his responsibilities. He doesn’t take his job seriously, always napping at his station. I honestly don’t know how you do it, seeing him almost every time you step out of the Styx. I don’t know what’s worse- repeatedly dying or having to see Hypnos every time you do. Although, I guess I am grateful for your patience with him Zag.”

Zagreus laughed (he  _ laughed _ ) at this, waving his hand dismissively before he paused and said, “I don’t know, I don’t mind him so much, mate. If anything I- well uh he’s like an annoying little brother to me.”

Heart dropping Hypnos’s mind went blank and it suddenly felt like his ears were filled with cotton. Everything was so foggy and yet sharp at the same time, and the words  _ annoying little brother _ kept echoing through his head.

Without much thought to who might notice Hypnos dropped his list and fled the house, barely breathing until he arrived back at his tiny home. His ears rang in the silence and he couldn’t stop the tears that flooded his vision.

So that’s how it was then. He finally knew exactly what Zagreus thought of him. The nectars didn’t mean anything more than maybe friends. An annoying little brother, that’s all the prince saw in him, and that probably wouldn’t ever change.

Hypnos didn’t return to work the next day, unwilling to see the prince and listen to all of his fake niceties. If he was so annoying then maybe it was for the best anyway.

~

The bags under Hypnos’s eyes were noticeably deeper. His hair was in even more disarray than it usually was, wild curls sticking up every which way. He entered the house, he stood at his post, he did his job. Every time Zagreus returned from a run the god of sleep was always awake, which in itself was unusual, and he was either too invested in his list to notice the prince or purposefully ignoring him. Said prince didn’t make an effort to ask.

~

“I think I might have messed up Than. I don’t know what I did but Hypnos hasn’t been talking to me at all lately, and he’s barely been sleeping on the job from what I can tell,” Zagreus was having a rare moment of downtime with the god of death in the lounge, splitting a bottle of ambrosia that Zagreus had won from Theseus recently.

“Doesn’t sound like such a bad thing to me. Perhaps he finally gained some sense and started taking his assigned role more seriously,” Thanatos seemed entirely unconcerned by his brother’s recent and sudden change. He took a small sip of his drink as he regarded the prince sitting across from him, “You do not believe this is a good thing.” It was less of a question and more a casual observation.

Zagreus’s face twisted into a worried frown, “It just doesn’t seem like him, you know? Do you suppose something happened? What if I did something wrong and I didn’t realize it? What if he’s decided he doesn’t like-” The prince cut himself off, worrying at his lip with his teeth. 

The god of death had rarely seen the prince so worked up and worried about anything before- he always seemed so nonchalant about everything. In fact, the only time he had ever seen his friend this upset was right after something happened between him and Megaera. Something he had never felt was his place to ask about. His eyebrows drew together, “What is this really about Zagreus?”

The prince blushed and sighed, “I...didn’t want to tell you because I wasn’t sure how you would take it- Hypnos being your brother and all.”

When he didn’t continue Thanatos raised an eyebrow, “He is my brother but I do not claim to be close with him. What has transpired between the two of you?”

“Nothing really. I mean I thought maybe something, but now it’s like he’s pulled away from me entirely. I’ve known him, I’ve known both of you, for so long that I thought that maybe I knew him fairly well by now, like as friends at least? But that doesn’t seem to be the case at all at the moment.”

Thanatos nodded his head. He wasn’t sure if he fully grasped what Zagreus was trying to say, but he could tell it meant a lot to him, “I can talk to him if you would like. Perhaps find out what’s been...on his mind. It has been an admittedly long time since I’ve had a discussion with my brother.”

Zagreus’s eyes lit up at that and he reached across the table to grab Thanatos’s hand, “You’d do that for me? I mean you don’t have to tell him it’s for me, but I would like to know that he’s okay at least.”

“I cannot make any promises Zag. Conversation has never come easily between the two of us. I don’t want to get your hopes up for nothing.”

“I know Than, but it means a lot to me that you would at least try,” the prince was already looking brighter and more at ease. Thanatos just nodded and took one last sip of his drink.

“Well, I have to repay you for all of these extravagant gifts in some way,” the god of death shrugged and then stood, readying himself for his departure. The prince smiled at his words in an odd, far-away manner for a brief moment.

“It’s funny you should say that. He’s always concerned about repaying me too. Must be a family trait.”

Thanatos gave him one more calculating look, “Perhaps.” Then he was gone in his usual burst of eerie green light and the prince was left alone at the table with his thoughts.

~

It had been a while. Hypnos wasn’t sure exactly how long- time was hard to tell down here and it was relative anyway. He had somewhat pulled himself together and was able to keep his list from falling from his nervous fingers every time the prince rose out of the bloody water he was charged with watching. He felt like he could comfortably say things were almost back to normal, or at least what he’d resigned himself to as what normal was going to be from now on.

So imagine his surprise when death himself appeared at his station as he was readying himself for the day.

Hypnos did not squeak. Absolutely not, that would have been an undignified thing for a god to do. He  _ was _ startled by his twin’s sudden appearance though.

“Geez Than, you could have mentioned you were dropping by. You almost gave me a heart attack you know, and those are hard things for a god to get,” Hypnos busied himself with arranging his papers and trying to look busy, something that wasn’t easy to do with his twin’s scrutinizing eyes watching his every nervous move.

“Why have you been acting so strange lately?”

Okay, he was cutting right to the chase. Not an unusual thing for death incarnate, but it was still a surprising question. Had Hypnos been  _ that _ off recently for even Thanatos of all people to take notice?

Clearing his throat the god of sleep just shrugged, “I don’t know what you’re getting at. Aren’t you always the one telling me I should focus on my job? I’ve been trying to do something useful for a change, instead of annoying anyone who enters the house from the pool.” Hypnos didn’t mean for that to come out as bitterly as it did, but now the words were hanging between the brothers like landmines waiting to explode.

Thanatos was the first to break the silence, “My apologies for asking. It’s been a long while since I took the time to speak with you, but I told Zagreus that I would try this to ease his mind. Perhaps I’m overstepping a boundary.” He adjusted his scythe as if preparing to leave it at that as Hypnos was still processing what he had said.

“Also, your list needs updating. It still has tasks on it that I finished last year. And why haven’t you marked off that you’ve submitted this week’s registrations?” Ah yes, there’s the Thanatos that Hypnos was so familiar with. 

“Wouldn’t you know, I was just about to do that. Then you showed up, and I got distracted, and well, you know how it goes!” Slapping on his usual snarky facade Hypnos tried to shrug off the need for any more conversation.

His brother’s usual frown darkened slightly, “You need to focus brother, or it will be Lord Hades reprimanding you again- is that what you want?”

The little god shrugged indifferently, “Oh I don’t know about that. The last time that I talked with the master he made it  _ pretty _ clear that he never wanted to speak with me again. No need to worry about me!”

Raising an eyebrow Thanatos seemed to decide he wasn’t getting any further with this conversation, “Very well. If you would like to talk about anything I’m sure you’ll find me.” With that, he disappeared. Hypnos let out a relieved breath that he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. 

Maybe after this trainwreck of a conversation his brother would avoid the house for a little while again. Couldn’t he get a moment of respite from all of this? As soon as the thought crossed his mind the pool at the end of the hall began to bubble ominously. Apparently not. Before whoever was emerging from the waters had surfaced Hypnos was nowhere to be seen.

~

“ _ Ugh _ , I don’t understand him Zag. I tried to talk to him, I even tried to pretend it was like talking to you, and he just kept evading my questions.” Once again Thanatos was across from the prince over yet another bottle of ambrosia. Zagreus was getting quite good at beating Theseus, no matter what weapon he was wielding. The god of death’s face twisted and he looked almost distressed by the situation. Zagreus couldn’t recall if he had ever seen his friend look so agitated. He clearly wasn’t used to things not going according to plan, and things so rarely did when it came to his brother.

“It’s okay Than, I appreciate you trying for me, but I suppose this is something I’ll have to deal with on my own,” the prince wasn’t excited about the prospect, but he knew very well by now the fates wouldn’t make anything easy on him. “Next time I see him I’ll make a point of talking to him. He can’t avoid me forever!” Zagreus tried to keep his tone bright, feigning more confidence than he actually had.

Thanatos nodded at this, “If anyone can get through to him I think that it would have to be you.” Before elaborating any further he knocked back the last of his drink and rose, “I have to get back to work, but I’m sure I’ll see you out there.” With that, he took his leave.

Zagreus was once again alone with a bottle and his thoughts. Sighing he too finished his drink and prepared to leave. Maybe crushing a few numbskulls in Tartarus would ease the tension he was feeling, despite not doing a thing for him his last multitude of runs. He had to focus on finding his mother first and foremost, everything else had to be secondary.

~

Hypnos was finding that actually doing his job wasn’t the worst thing after all. It certainly wasn’t what he  _ wanted _ to be doing, but it also kept him preoccupied. Distraction. All he needed were some good distractions. Sleep always used to be his favorite distraction of all, but his dreams had long since betrayed him. Now sleep was more of a dreaded chore than a release from worries. He often found himself restlessly wandering the halls of the house even when he wasn’t required to be on duty. If he avoided going home he didn’t have to look at his dejected mound of fluff he called a bed or the row of dust-covered gold bottles that haunted his shelf.

It was during one of these aimless ramblings that he ended up in the lounge one quiet maybe evening. The room was mostly deserted save for the ever-present chef and the wretched broker in the corner. At least that’s what he thought until he was almost to his favorite dimly lit table in the back with a set of plush, red cushions surrounding it. By the time he was too close to pretend he was intending to go elsewhere the fury sprawled across two of the seats had made eye contact with him and he was trapped.

“What do you want little god? Aren’t you usually at home by this time? Don’t tell me you’re here doing overtime,” the way Megaera bared her teeth at him could almost be called a smile. Hypnos also took in her slightly disheveled attire and the half-full bottle of golden liquid in front of her.

“Oh wow! Is miss always-by-the-book Megaera letting her hair down a little bit? Shouldn’t that bottle be confiscated, or is this the way you deal with forbidden substances now?” Hypnos eyed her a bit more closely. She definitely had been drinking for a while at this point. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair actually  _ was _ starting to fall out of its usual tight ponytail.

“Watch yourself. You may be a god but that just means you won’t actually die if I kill you,” there was less venom in her words than usual, not as much bite. She sat up slightly but made no move to make good on those words. 

“Actually, do you mind if I join you? I could help you work through that, you know, to keep things like this out of the house and all,” he waited a moment and when she made no move to stop him he slumped down onto one of the pillows. 

The fury raised an eyebrow at him, “What makes you think I need help with anything? I think I’ve got this situation under control.” Despite her words, she didn’t stop his hand from gingerly picking the bottle up from the table. Eyeing the liquid before putting it to his lips Hypnos took his first sip of nectar.

It was nothing like he expected. It was sweet like honey and coated his tongue. The nectar sent a wave of warmth through his whole body and made his skin shiver and tingle pleasantly. After just one mouthful Hypnos could already feel his cheeks darkening and his head starting to buzz as if he were waking up from a really good dream.

“Wow! I can understand why everybody loves this stuff now. No wonder the lord of not having any fun had to ban it from the house,” Hypnos laughed and he genuinely felt lighter than he had in a long while, almost giddy.

Megaera smirked at him from across the table, “Don’t tell me this is the first time you’ve ever tried the stuff. Zagreus hands them out like candy to everyone. It’s a wonder Lord Hades hasn’t put a stop to it yet.”

Hypnos’s spirits immediately came crashing back down and it must have shown on his face. Megaera narrowed her eyes, “He hasn’t been gifting them to you? I figured you of all people would be at the top of his list.”

Hypnos snorted dismissively, “What makes you say that? It’s not like he has any reason to try to impress me. I’m just his annoying little brother.” At that Hypnos crumpled in on himself, suddenly too tired to hold his body upright. Why did he even bother? Everything always came back to  _ him _ . Maybe if he threw himself into Chaos Zagreus would finally be long gone by the time he came back to himself. Gods couldn’t die but there were other options.

He didn’t realize how tightly he was clutching his knees to his chest until he felt the fury try to pry his hands away. He didn’t have the strength to fight her so he just gazed up at her brokenly as she removed his bodily shield.

“Blood and darkness, what in the world are you going on about? Has he really not given you any? That idiot.” Hypnos couldn’t understand why she seemed so exasperated by this fact. It’s not like they’d ever been close, even after Hypnos’s crush he’d had on her for ages, and he certainly wouldn’t call them friends. 

“That’s not exactly the case,” Hypnos frowned, “He gave me...a few bottles, but I never opened them.”

The fury arched an eyebrow, “Why was that? I know you don’t care enough about the house rules to have that stop you.”

Sighing the god shrugged dejectedly, “I don’t know anymore. I guess I thought that maybe one day he’d want to split them with me or something. I know that’s stupid, and he’s got plenty of other tasks at hand, but I thought he took time out of his day to visit with me for a reason I guess.” Hypnos mumbled the last bit before taking another long drink of nectar.

Megaera gave him a long, calculating look, “You care about him, right? As more than just a friend, don’t give me any of that avoiding the question bullshit about being close just because you’ve known him for so long. You realize he feels the same way, right?”

The god of sleep just snorted in response, “I think you’ve got me mixed around with my brother there Meg, but thanks for trying. He’s made his feelings toward me pretty clear.”

“Is that right? Then you’re the reason he’s been so mopey recently. He barely made it to Alecto’s chamber today and she took care of him fast enough,” If Hypnos didn’t know better he’d think she was annoyed at him on Zagreus’s behalf. “I know my sisters don’t care as much, but I don’t appreciate being handed a win when my opponent isn’t even thinking about our fight. Why are you making him punish himself like this? Just talk to him. Blood and darkness you gods make everything so difficult.”

The fury drained the last of the bottle and stood. Looking down at the little god who cowered below her she scoffed, “It’s none of my business what you end up doing, but you need to stop being such a coward and face your issues. This obviously isn’t working for either of you idiots.” With that, she turned on her heel and left the lounge leaving Hypnos to process what she had said.

~

Zagreus wiped the trail of blood from his forehead before it trickled into his eye. He was already half-dead and he hadn’t even made it through Tartarus. His timing had been off all day and he had been hit by more louts and numbskulls than he was comfortable admitting. Achilles would be disappointed. Picking Coronacht up from where he had dropped it he tried to clear his head before approaching his reward for clearing the room. A glowing pink sphere illuminated the darkness and when he touched it he heard the silvery tinkling of chimes before Aphrodite’s voice came through.

“What seems to be troubling you little godling? It’s a good thing you found me- I’ll help all of your worries and your enemies disappear,” Her knowing voice echoed around the chamber.

“Thank you, Lady Aphrodite, your assistance is always appreciated,” Zagreus tried to clear his mind of everything that didn’t pertain to his current struggle to reach the surface. Unsurprisingly he couldn’t hide everything from the goddess.

“Oh you poor thing, it’s some _ one  _ who’s troubling you isn’t it? That darling little god of sleep? He is quite charming- much more interesting than his dull twin. I can see why you’d like him so much,” Even though he couldn’t see her face he knew she was smiling knowingly.

“It’s not like that! Um, I mean, it’s not something you should trouble yourself with. He has no interest in me and I would hate to inconvenience you on my behalf, my lady,” Zagreus was beginning to wish he had died in this latest encounter. At least he wouldn’t have had to have this conversation.

“Nonsense my little godling! This is exactly the type of thing I enjoy helping with. Though I do think you should perhaps inquire about his feelings again. You may be surprised by what you find out! As it is, take one of these to assist you until such time. It looks like you’ll be needing it,” With that, she was gone with nothing but chimes and a selection of boons in her wake. Trying not to overthink his choices he accepted her crush shot and steeled himself for whatever would come at him in the next chamber.

Unfortunately, the doomstone on the other side of the door was much more prepared for him than he was for it.

~

He saw the name on his list before he heard movement from the pool. Hypnos’s heart sank as he read the entry. Prince Zagreus caught in the beams of a doomstone. By far not the first time this had happened, but it was the first time he’d been face to face with the prince since his encounter with Meg. It had been even longer since he’d properly interacted with said prince. 

Groaning internally Meg’s words ghosted through his brain.  _ Stop being a coward and face your issues _ . Much easier said than done, but now the prince was pulling himself out of the water and it was too late for him to disappear from his post. He focused as hard as he could on not watching the rivulets of water trail down from Zagreus’s broad shoulders. Perhaps if he didn’t say anything Zagreus would ignore him and he could go on about his day like usual.

Unfortunately, that was not the case. He heard the soft sizzle of burning feet slowly approach as if they were afraid they might scare Hypnos away. Not an unfair assumption based on his recent behaviors he supposed.

“Hey mate, it’s um, been a while,” The god of sleep was unsure if he had ever heard the prince sound so uncertain. At least not when  _ they _ had been talking with each other. Taking a deep breath he finally met the prince’s duo-colored eyes.

“Oh hi there Zagreus! Long time, no see,” Hypnos tried to keep his voice bright, but he knew it sounded forced, “Um, do you need anything? I don’t think I’ve seen Thanatos around recently if you’re looking for him.”

“I wasn’t, I um, I wanted to talk to you. If that’s okay,” There was something in Zagreus’s eyes that Hypnos had never seen. Did he seem worried? About Hypnos? “Look Hypnos, I’ll understand if you don’t want to talk to me, but I was hoping...or at least wondering..would you perhaps want to get a drink with me? If you’re not busy of course.”

Silence fell between the two. What could he want to discuss? Hypnos’s mind was racing from one possibility to another, and as the quiet continued Zagreus’s face fell.

“Actually, maybe it’s better if we don’t. I don’t want to bother you. I know you’re busy and I’m sorry I said anything,” Zagreus turned to flee but Hypnos moved without thinking and grabbed his shoulder. The prince stopped in his tracks at the touch.

“It has been a while. I can spare a few moments,” Hypnos’s voice was shaky but he was determined to stop avoiding his problems.

The prince’s eyes widened and a trace of hope flickered across his face, “If you’re certain. I can meet you in the lounge in a few if you’d like.”

Hypnos nodded almost imperceptively and with that Zagreus ran off in the direction of his mentor. The god’s eyes followed him for a moment. He noted that the prince’s steps were lighter than they were moments before. 

He could do this. Hypnos collected his things and took a deep breath. It was now or never. No running away.

~

The brief wait for the prince to join him was almost long enough for Hypnos to regret this whole ordeal. What was he thinking? He was just the god of sleep. He was a disappointment to his brother and maybe even his mother for all he knew. He just oversaw those who entered the underworld and recorded them- nothing special. He was  _ just _ the annoying younger brother.

Hypnos bit his lip and burrowed his way deeper into his cloak. This was probably a mistake, but at this point he couldn’t make things any worse than they already were, could he?

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look more like your brother than you do now, you know that mate?” Hypnos’s head whipped up to meet the prince’s concerned gaze. 

Schooling his expression into what he hoped was his normal sleepy and sarcastic grin he shrugged, “I’m not sure if I know what you’re talking about. Never been able to pull off that whole dark and mysterious vibe that he has.”

Zagreus laughed at that as he settled into a spot on the other side of the table. Face to face on the same level made Hypnos want to hide or run away all over again. How did people do this whole facing their feelings thing anyway? Right as he was about to steel himself to say something to break the silence, and maybe laugh this whole awkward encounter off, the prince spoke instead.

“You know the red flowers that surround your house? Did you know that apparently mortals associate them with death? Which is ridiculous- those flowers are nothing like Than,” There was a far-off look in the prince’s eyes and everything about this caught Hypnos off guard. Zagreus wanted to talk to him about  _ flowers _ ? The confusion must have been evident on his face because the prince quickly came back to himself and scratched at the back of his head with uncertainty. Hypnos stared at the light blush that dusted the prince’s cheeks as he continued, “Um I mean you’re different, from your brother, and also everyone else I know.”

Shifting his position and scrubbing his hands across his face Zagreus let out a frustrated sigh, “I’m sorry. I’m sure none of this is making any sort of sense to you. If I’m being honest I’m not sure if it makes any sense to me either. I just miss talking to you, and your jokes, and the way you make me laugh, and I thought that maybe you felt sort of the same way, and lady Aphrodite said I should talk to you but now I’m not so sure and-” He cut himself off with another exasperated groan, “Blood and darkness why is it so difficult to tell someone you like them?” His eyes went wide as he realized what had just left his lips and he slapped a hand over his mouth as if trying to shove the words back in.

Hypnos wasn’t doing much better. He felt like his brain had short-circuited as he tried to process what Zagreus could possibly mean. He didn’t realize he had been staring with his mouth gaping open until Zagreus’s face went from shocked to distraught. 

“I- I shouldn’t have said that. It was too forward and it put you in an unfair position. If you would rather leave now and not talk to me ever again I would under-” Hypnos all but threw himself across the table, cutting whatever the prince was trying to say off abruptly with a kiss.

It wasn’t a perfect kiss. Actually, it was more just smashing his lips against the prince’s and hoping for the best, but as soon as the initial shock was over they both started to relax into it. Finally parting for air that in all reality neither of them needed they looked at each other with wide eyes, noses inches apart.

Running his hand through his curls bashfully Hypnos cleared his throat, “I’m sorry, I hope that was okay. I’ve just kinda wanted to do that for a while and you looked so upset- I didn’t know what else to do.”

A wide grin spread across Zagreus’s face, “Neither of us are very good with words, are we?”

“It’s a good thing neither of us is the god of expressing emotion, or at least if one of us were this probably wouldn’t have happened, huh?” Hypnos’s first genuine smile in a long while threatened to overwhelm his face, but even though his cheeks hurt he couldn’t make himself stop. Zagreus wasn’t doing much better as a mixture of wonder and excitement danced across his features.

“I don’t understand, what made all of this so scary and hard in the first place?” It was a mostly rhetorical question from the prince since it all suddenly seemed so natural, but Hypnos blushed and averted his gaze in embarrassment.

“I might have, um, well I sort of overheard you and Thanatos talking, and well… why did you tell him I’m like your little brother? An annoying one at that,” Hurt and confusion tinged his voice as the memory rushed back in full force, reminding him of what initially made all of this so difficult and painful.

Surprise, confusion, understanding, and then guilt flashed across the prince’s face in quick succession, “I didn’t… blood and darkness, of course,  _ that’s _ why you pulled away so suddenly? I’m so sorry Hyp. I know this doesn’t help at all now, but I didn’t mean it,” His face twisted with remorse, “I was just, I didn’t know how to tell Than, and I was so worried you wouldn’t return my feelings, so I just covered them up. Looks like I really messed that one up, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you kinda did,” Hypnos leaned back and crossed his arms, a look of contemplation on his face for a moment before being replaced by his usual mischievous grin, “Guess you’re gonna have to make it up to me.”

Zagreus raised an eyebrow, “And how do you propose I do that?”

The god of sleep’s grin got wider, “Well I suppose you could start with more gifts. I hear you’ve been giving out nectar like it’s candy so that hardly makes it anything special anymore does it? Maybe you could start with something small, like an autograph from the bull of Minos!”

The prince scoffed, “You say that like it’ll be easy. Don’t you know he’s usually trying to kill me? We don’t exactly get a lot of time to chat.”

Pouting Hypnos sighed dramatically, “Well I suppose if it’s too difficult for you...”

Zagreus groaned with exasperation, “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Okay!” Hypnos threw his arms around the prince and planted a kiss on his cheek, both of them laughing. 

Now, this was something he could get used to.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> You made it! This was so much longer than I expected it to be but I think that it was worth it, and I hope you think so too,,
> 
> Don't forget to leave kudos and comment, they fill my heart with so much joy and I love screaming about my faves with other people who also love them<3
> 
> Feel free to follow me on tumblr if you want @bomb-pop


End file.
